Confidence boost

Tonight we had another jam session. We played "Stealing Stars" for my guitarist's friends and they seemed to really enjoy it. We also went to check out another band who needed two vocalists. I hate trying out for new bands just because the audition process sucks, but having a song almost finished really made it easier. Playing it for their guitarist, we didn't miss a beat. My nerves are getting better in front of people. Playing in front of people you don't know is a really quick way to getting over your nerves, after a few times your confidence grows. We're still not sure if were going to play with the new band, or if were going to add their guitarist to our lineup yet. But nonetheless, he was a cool guy. In other news, I'm moving into a new room while I'm home and I'm going to try to set up a little recording studio/sound booth. I'll keep you posted, and if I do eventually do this, I'll write up a how to for it. It should be interesting to see what happens, I'm usually a klutz and tend to break everything.

Listening To: LoveHateHero, "These Fists are Grenades"

"Stealing Stars"

We had one of the most successful writing sessions I've had so far last night. We finished a brand new song most likely to be titled "Stealing Stars", worked on picking a band name, and started redoing our first song. The band name thing has become a big issue for us. I think I'm going to make a post with all of our ideas so far and ask any readers for suggestions, likes, dislikes, and new ideas. Maybe you can help us pick a name, because we're so indecisive. It's going to be a while before we get any material on myspace, but any help from you may speed up the process. I went to a concert at a local high school tonight with some friends, and it only made me want to get on stage. Even though the bands were'nt very good, any time I see live music it reminds me why I'm trying so hard in the first place. God I love music.

BOSS Digital Recorder = Necessity

As a singer, I am always coming up ideas for a song, lyrics, or any random beat that pops into my head. I learned early on that its too hard to keep a pad and pencil by my side at all times, and even if you do write your lyrics down you will most likely forget your melody. Besides, you never get a good idea when its convenient. I wrote my first song while I was mowing the lawn... (I sunk the lawnmower shortly after.) I've been through 4 digital recorders in the last few years. I lost two, went swimming accidentially with one, and the other was stolen from me along with a backpack and a few useless school books. I'm on my fifth right now, and it's a piece of crap. The Olympus brand was good, STAY AWAY from coby. Anyways, the more I write and the more I collaborate with guitarists, bassists, whatever; the more I wish I could record all the tracks on my recorder and play them back as one file. It's a pain to have my computer with me everytime I get an idea. Try bringing a computer with you on the lawnmower... I just read about THE most amazing thing ever to hit the shelves. BOSS, the same brand that makes guitar pedals and some recording equipment just came out with the Boss Micro BR Digital Recorder... If your halfway serious about writing music you'll get this baby. Running at around $229, I think its worth it. Reminds you of a mastercard commercial doesn't it: Shure Compression Microphone $89, Boss Micro BR Digital Recorder $229, The ability to write a song, and hear it on the radio the next day Priceless. There are some things money cant buy, and so on and so forth.... If I had the money I would buy one tomorrow. Just in time for band practice! Check them out, these things are awesome.

BOSS MICRO BR Digital Recorder

Listening To: Emery, "The Ponytail Parade"

Band Etiquette and Press Kits

Today was my day off from school... Not that I don't get more than one day off a week, but it's the only day I don't have to skip classes to get some free time. Anyways, I was planning on sleeping til 12? My girlfriend had other plans. She had to get up early to finish a paper and didn't wan't to be the only one up, so my phone rang at 6. Sweet, no more sleep for me. There was a plus side. My guitarist sent me some new material. The kid continues to amaze me. Just one more day until band practice and a brand new song, and I'm extremely excited. I just redid our first song this morning and it sounds MUCH better. I think re-writing songs has become a new procrastination point for me... That and Acoustically Sound. (I have a bunch of term papers due tomorrow and I haven't started yet.) I'm a little stressed out, not because of my unfinished homework, but because my guitarist wants us to join a new band on the side... All the new band wants to do is covers... Note to any aspiring bands, DO NOT torture your vocalist by making them do covers. It sucks. O well, I'll get over it. We were also talking about getting a press kit put together. We'll talk about that more when we get a few more songs put together. I think I'm going to start writing some How To's , and How to Put Together a Press Kits will be among the first.

Listening To: Saosin, "I've Been Dying to Reach You"

Can I Get a Little Less Fore and a Little More Play?

I think trying to get a band together has made me more aware of the way people act in wierd situations. I'm still having problems with the first guitarist I contacted this year about starting something up. I had no way to know weather or not it would work out. We exchanged numbers and set a date to practice. He picked me up and we drove to his apartment. (I'm still glad I didn't end up drugged in the trunk.) The whole situation sucked. The kid had no personality, HE decided what was right for the band and what kind of music we were going to play, he smoked a shitload of weed, and he kept telling me that he liked what HE wrote but that I could change a few things... I don't know about you, but when I'm trying to make a friend, I usually try an outrageously new concept. BEING NICE. It works, I promise.

O.K. So maybe I wrote this just because I liked the title and REALLY wanted to use it. But I think I made some valid points. I think a friendship is needed before a band can really take place. I think if your going to be an ass, then stick to playing your instrument by yourself. If you absolutely HAVE to be an ass, and you NEED a band, then keep your mouth shut and let the other guys do their thing... O.K. thats all I have to say, but I really love how everything in the last paragraph could have sexual reference...

Listening To: Senses Fail, "Rum is for Drinking, Not for Burning (Acoustic)"

Quote/unQuote

My dad seems to believe in me. I think he had the same dream when he was a kid and never did anything about it. He told me once that if I had music that was worth listening to he would let me take a year off from college to promote it. Thats a huge sentiment coming from my dad, college is the world to that guy. My mom on the other hand has no faith in me. You'd think she'd be proud that her son uses his spare time to be creative and do something worthwile than to party and play video games. Shes definitely a glass half empty type of person, if not a glass never had anything in it and never will type. Me on the other hand, I believe that if you can dream it you can do it. I have plenty of time left in my life to become an amazing singer. I sorta want to prove to myself as much as I want to prove to my mom that I can do this. If I end up on stage, with the lights on my face, and the audience singing every word of a song I wrote just once, it'll solidify my belief that anythings possible. More than that, it will make everything I've done so far worthwhile. I found a quote the other day that reflects almost exactly what I tell my mom everytime she shows the slightest bit of doubt in my abilities.

"It's definitely the hardest working people, not the most talented that make it in this world...especially in music. Because as good as you are, if you're not willing to work, this is not a business for you. Just never give up, and you'll never fail. In my opinion, the people that don't make it in this business are the one's that quit."
-Phil Sneed (SOTY)

Listening To: Taking Back Sunday, "Timberwolves at New Jersey"

Catching Up.

So here I am at college... It's my sophmore year and I have three goals. 1) not to fail miserably, 2) not screw up horribly with my girlfriend whos at another college 3 hours away, and 3) START A BAND ... Sounds do-able right? So I'm missing loads of classes, the gf's 3 hours away, and I found a guitarist who's willing to play with me. Things are going great. We get together once, write an AMAZING song, and he tells me he doesn't like my melody or my lyrics... "They're too emo." The kid wants to start a hardcore band without a screamer... Go figure. So i figure I'm at college, theres got to be other kids who like the same kind of music as I do and play guitar. Nope. So i hit up myspace. Find a guitarist, 2 years younger, who lives about a half hour away from my house, an hour from my school. We set a date. Get together for 3 hours. Write a song. (that's how it works). The kids awesome, good personality, amazingly creative, and we get along well. The song we wrote isn't amazing, but it does show that we can work together. The more we write, the more our writing styles will mesh, and the better our songs will get. I think I'll keep him. The first guitarist I've had who I can stand. Were writing another song this Friday.

Listening To: Letter Kills, "Radio Up"

Backstory (because this might interest someone?)

I wish my parents would have subjected me to music at an earlier age. I was the kid who bought his first cd at age 15 and without knowing about genres, bought into popular music... What a nightmare... Until that point, the only music I knew about was the music my family played while putting up the Christmas tree.
I've always been obsessed with starting a band. I remember telling a friend shortly after I started listening to "real" music that we might as well start one, because who better to write music than the people who listen to it. I think I also told him that the people in bands don't listen to music nearly as much as we did, so how can we fail... Man, I wish it were that easy. I started voice lessons Junior year of highschool, more because my parents made me than because I wanted to. I had no reason to practice my ass off until i found out my friend played guitar and another played bass... The following two years consisted of writing some of the worst songs ever. I continued to sing, I took chorus senior year, and the band started getting better. When it was time to go to college the band split. I went to a small school up in vermont, and the rest of the guys stayed in CT. I actually moved back after 1st semester so that the band could reunite... BAD IDEA. By the end of christmas break, we had chosen a new name, written some new songs, and even posted them on Myspace. The name was horrible, the songs were horrible, and our myspace page was... can you guess? We stopped practicing for a few months, I got enrolled in a new, nearby school, and we added a few more guys to the lineup; a drummer and a second singer/screamer. Over the summer, we created yet another bad band name, 4 or 5 more crappy songs, and once again a horribly designed Myspace. I've given up on these guys. This is the breaking point. I'm starting a new chapter of my story at my new school. I've already been throught 2 new bands and working on my third. This ones gonna go somewhere.

Listening To: Hidden in Plain View, "Twenty Below"

Getting Started...

Ok, well this is my first time doing this, so as you read my blogs will hopefully get better... hopefully. I'm going to be writing about my experiences with trying to start a indie/rock band. This should be entertaining as 1) Music is something everyone loves. 2) Rockstars are cool and looked up to. 3) Who doesnt want to start their own band. Being a college kid, there is also the multitude of problems that comes with school that will mesh with my neverending pursuit of fame and fortune. Please feel free to comment and ask me questions; this is supposed to be entertaining, so help me to make it how you would like it. I hope you all enjoy my pain throughout this endeavor, because although writing music is something i love more than anything else, being in a band is something i wouldn't wish upon my worst enemies.

Listening To: Cute is What We Aim For, "The Curse of Curves"